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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.08508334
EAN: 9780373774272
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0373774273
Label: HQN Books
Manufacturer: HQN Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: October 01, 2009
Publisher: HQN Books
Studio: HQN Books
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Product Description:
A Handful of Gold
A love story from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh
Not only is Julian Dare dashing and wealthy, but he's the heir to an earldom. So what do you get a man who has everything? Innocent and comely Verity Ewing plans on giving Julian her heart—the most precious gift of all.
The Season for Suitors
An original romance from Nicola Cornick
After some close encounters with rakes in which she was nearly compromised, heiress Clara Davenport realizes that she needs some expert advice. And who better for the job than Sebastian Fleet, the most notorious rake in town? But the tutelage doesn't go quite as planned, as both Sebastian and Clara find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to lessons of the heart!
This Wicked Gift
An original romance from Courtney Milan
Lavinia Spencer has been saving her hard-earned pennies to provide her family with Christmas dinner. Days before the holiday, her brother is swindled, leaving them owing more than they can ever repay. Until a mysterious benefactor offers to settle the debt. Innocent Lavinia is stunned by what the dashing William White wants in return. Will she exchange a wicked gift for her family's fortune?
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh was my least favorite story in this anthology. We have the same old rehash of a plot with a gentleman rake who is bored in London surrounded by all his wealth. Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby is out of sorts because his father is forcing him to marry. He's twenty nine after all and it's about time he settled down and has an heir. Julian has not finished sowing his oats but decided some relaxation is in order when his friend, Bertrand (what is up with that name?) invites him to his hunting box for the holidays. Bertie has his mistress to keep him satisfied and wants Julian to bring his own mistress and come along for some cheer and holiday shagging. Julian has the perfect woman picked out. She is Blanche Heyward, a dancer in the opera with "long, shapely legs with long titan hair and emerald eyes."
Blanche is actually Miss Verity Ewing, a virginal young miss who pretends to be a worldly opera dancer in order to pay for the costly medicine for her sick sister. Verity's mother and sister have no clue about her secret life and tells them some laughable excuse about being a hired companion for a eccentric lady who needs Verity mainly at night. When Julian meets her at the opera and takes her to dinner, he explains how he longs for company for the week and will pay her five hundred pounds. Verity accepts because the money will help her sister. And all of London society thinks she's a fallen woman anyway (except her clueless mother) because an opera dancer could never be a virgin!
Julian and Verity head off for their week long adventure and even though Verity is nervous about being ruined by Julian, she decides to welcome his advances because Julian should have wonderful skills in the bedroom because of his reputation.
A Handful of Gold was a ridiculous little story. How many times have I read before about the acclaimed opera singer actually being some virginal and precious young miss who catches the eyes of the biggest rake in all of London? Verity had no personality to speak of and Julian was a dullard.
Nicola Cornick's The Season For Suitors was a cute and fun read about two people who are so right for one another but try to ignore their feelings because they think they want different things in life. Sebastian, Duke of Fleet is yet another London rake who is bored with life in general. Things begin to look up when he receives a letter from Clara Davencourt. Sebastian is surprised to hear from Clara due to the falling out they had eighteen months ago because he rejected her offer of marriage. She was insulted, hurled a few choice words at him and they haven't spoken since then. Now Clara is asking Sebastian for advice. Sebastian longs to be friends with her again. Clara is also pleased with renewing their acquaintance because Sebastian is a skilled rake. She needs him to help her with all these new rakes that keep popping up and trying to seduce her because she is now a rich heiress due to her godmother who died and left her a fortune. Clara is not ready to be married and since Sebastian isn't either, he'll help her out.
The Season for Suitors is a witty little tale with two lovely characters who can see how special each other is with their quirks and all. Both Sebastian and Clara are fun loving individuals and there are a few laughs withn the pages that makes for fun reading.
Courtney Milan's His Wicked Gift was my favorite of the three. Courtney takes a Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol and gives it a nice twist with a regency romance where a mysterious man finds love with a poor girl who runs her father's lending library business.
Lavinia Spencer has cut corners and saved every penny of her hard earned money to give her father and younger brother a very special Christmas. Times are tough and Lavinia spends her days running her family's business because her father can't any longer due to an illness. She also looks forward to seeing a special subscriber on certain days. William Q. White makes Lavinia's heart flutter. The way he speaks makes her tingle. There's something so very special about this man who uses long vowels when he talks. Instead of William using the smell of sandalwood to make Lavinia, giddy, all he has to do is to recite the alphabet to seduce her.
Unfortunately Lavinia's younger brother James does something foolish that will ruin their whole holiday. Lavinia thinks everything is lost until Mister William Q. White comes to her aid. William has come into a bit of money and will give Lavinia what she needs if she gives him her body. William has gone through tough times and is barely making ends meet working in a counting house for a man who is a total scrooge. But he has been given ten pounds from the death of someone in his past who he felt owed him a great deal. And since William feels he has sacrificed so much, he wants one bright thing to get him through the ... Read More
Rating:  -
I read these stories on my day off, and I would recommend them to any romance reader.
For all the pros and cons of the story lines, each book is well written, and are at a decent enough length to where you can get a satisfying read.
Mary Balogh writes a solid book and has the elements of a classic regency romance. Her book comes across as meaty despite its length, and we see character development with the hero.
Nicola Cornicks offering was an enjoyable one. The heroine was definitely spirited but not a brat. My one issue was the fact that the initial storyline made no sense to me. I won't discuss it however overall it was a lighthearted read.
The last story by Milan is a departure from the sparkling romances that we seem to get. I thought that it was an awesome story because it showcased reality and the growth of the hero AND the heroine. (Well moreso the hero)
All in all, I think that this is a must have for any regency/historical romance fan. Each story stands on its own, and is different from the next one so I felt that I got my moneys worth.
Rating: -
I really liked the book! Courtney Milan's story was my favorite. Imagine - a regency romance with the hero and heroine members of the "deserving poor"! I loved it.
Nicola Cornick's story was ok. I felt like I'd been there, read that, but it was well written.
Mary Balogh's story was also ok. A little predictable, but I still liked it.
Rating:  -
I haven't read the other two stories in this anthology, but Mary Balogh's "A Handful of Gold" was previously published in The Gifts of Christmas: A Handful of Gold/ A Drop of Frankincense/ A Touch of Myrrh, 1998.
"A Handful of Gold" is not one of my favorites of Balogh's Christmas anthology contributions (many of which I love to re-read when that time of year comes around), so I thought it worth mentioning that Balogh fans may already own it or could purchase it more cheaply in the older volume, if they wish.
Rating: -
"A Handful of Gold" by Mary Balogh. The handsome and wealthy heir to an earldom, Lord Julian Dare, seems to have everything so what do you get the man you love for Christmas who seems to need nothing Verity Ewing asks herself. You give your heart to him though the risk is that he will return it broken.
"The Season for Suitors" by Nicola Cornick. Because she is a pretty heiress, rakes and wastrels try to compromise Clara Davenport into marriage. She has been fortunate so far, but knows her luck will not hold out so she decides she needs a teacher to train her, an innocent, on how to fend off rakes. She turns to the poster boy of rakes Sebastian Fleet for mentoring and advice. However, the lessons between the teacher and the student turn into one of love.
"This Wicked Gift" by Courtney Milan. In 1822 Lavinia Spencer has saved money in order for her family to celebrate the holidays with a Christmas dinner. Four days before the gala, her brother James loses everything, leaving them in a debt greater than they can pay back. William Q. White, who she has adored from a distance, offers to make the payment in exchange for her innocence.
These three Regency romantic novellas are fun tales due to the assertive females who know what they want and take charge of achieving their respective heart's desires. Although the Balogh and Cornick entries are reprints from the anthology Christmas Keepsakes, this anthology is worth reading because of the strong women.
Harriet Klausner
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